Frank Novak, former special teams coach with the Houston Oilers, Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers, agreed Monday to take a similar position with the Green Bay Packers.
``I am looking to bring an enthusiasm and a high energy level to our units,'' he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. ``We want to set the tone with special teams. I have the backing of the head coach, and that is huge. Some places, you're just tolerated.''
Novak, 60, resigned from the Chargers staff in 1998 after a consultant was brought in to assist him. With San Diego still paying him for the rest of the 1998 season and the 1999 season, he lived outside Detroit and helped out at the University of Michigan in an unofficial capacity.
Novak said he welcomed the chance to work for new Packers coach Mike Sherman.
``He's an offensive coach who hasn't done a lot with special teams, but he's smart enough to know the importance of it,'' he said of Sherman. ``I believe I'm working for a man that will be behind me and will expect players to perform.''
Bears release Bennett
Edgar Bennett, the Chicago Bears' leading rusher two seasons ago, was released.
Bennett, signed as an unrestricted free agent from Green Bay in 1998, gained 611 yards on 173 carries and caught 28 passes for 209 yards in his first season with the Bears.
Bennett, who turns 31 on Feb. 15, underwent knee surgery in the off-season. Bennett played in all 16 games in 1999, including two starts, but the 6-foot, 218-pound back was primarily used as a blocker. He ran the ball only six times for 28 yards.
Sanders wants out of Dallas
Frustrated by the Dallas Cowboys' lack of recent success Deion Sanders said the time has come for him to move on.
``I had a wonderful time,'' Sanders told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. ``I wanted some more wins. I wanted more Super Bowls. But it was good.
``I understood I was a hired gun. I've still got some bullets. It's not my fault the gun doesn't shoot like it used to.''
Sanders said he wants to play with a team that has a good chance to win the Super Bowl next year.
Police report
New York Jets receiver Wayne Chrebet and Indianapolis Colts running back Keith Elias were arrested after an incident outside a bar in Seaside Heights, N.J., police said.
In Monroe, La., Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Steve Foley was free on $750 bond after being charged with domestic violence, his third arrest this year.
In Long Beach, N.Y., Cincinnati Bengals guard Matt O'Dwyer was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to undergo alcohol treatment counseling after admitting his role in a July bar brawl.
In suburban Baltimore, police searched Ray Lewis' home but would not disclose what they were looking for or what they found in connection with the murder charges facing the NFL star.
Extra points
Charles Haley, a menacing pass rusher and the only player in NFL history with five Super Bowl rings, retired after a disappointing comeback with the San Francisco 49ers last season. . . . The New York Giants have made quarterbacks coach Sean Payton, their new offensive coordination and promoted running backs coach Jim Skipper to assistant head coach. . . . Trying to connect the team's present with its championship past, the Miami Dolphins hired Mike Shula as quarterbacks coach.
